Insurance Bad Faith in Wisconsin

The purpose of Bad Faith Insurance laws is to protect the consumer from unethical practices by their insurance company. An insurance agency failing to pay a claim in accordance with the insurance policy is an example of bad faith. If you have questions call Gruber Law Offices now.

Bad Faith

Generally, bad faith implies deception of another fraudulently, or a malicious or intentional refusal to honor contractual obligations. Bad Faith is contrasted to Good Faith, the legal concept of adherence to fair dealings and reasonable standards.

Insurance bad faith specifically refers to a tort claim against the insurance company, brought by an insured person. Tort is defined as “a civil or wrongful act” which results in injury to another person. It can be intentional or accidental. Intentional wrongs resulting in harm and all negligence cases fall into the category of torts.

Bad acts by an insurance company may result in a bad faith insurance claim being brought against them by an insured policyholder. The person in a bad faith insurance case generally seeks to recover at least the initial amount to which they were entitled by their insurance policy.

The person may be able to recover more, depending on the conduct of the insurance company.

Wisconsin Bad Faith Insurance Claims

A general rule of thumb for discerning the difference between insurance good faith and insurance bad faith when seeking to settle an insurance claim:

A good faith insurer finds ways to accept your claim and pays the claim properly and in a timely manner.
A bad faith insurer seeks out and finds ways to diminish, delay, and disapprove your insurance claim, and to deny payment of your claim.

The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI) is the state agency responsible for monitoring improper conduct by insurance companies.

According to the OCI, all insurance companies wishing to do business in the state must be OCI licensed. Insurance companies are required by Wisconsin law to periodically file financial information and insurance policy forms. Insurance companies are also required by Wisconsin law “to submit to periodic examinations by OCI.”

Wisconsin Insurance Bad Faith Attorney

When you suspect you are faced with unethical practices by an insurance company such as delaying, disapproving, or denying your claim, you need the help of an experienced Wisconsin bad faith insurance claim attorney.

Gruber Law Offices can identify signs of potential of bad faith settlement claims practices by an insurer. Serving but not limited to Southeastern Wisconsin including Milwaukee, Kenosha, Madison, Racine, and Waukesha, our bad faith settlement claims attorney can protect your rights to recover a good faith insurance claim settlement.

Our law firm is conversant with Wisconsin insurance laws. We are experienced in investigating insurance policies, dealing with insurance companies and insurance adjusters, and negotiating insurance claim settlements.

Serving the people of Wisconsin for nearly three decades, our dedicated insurance bad faith claims attorneys takes pride in our success in helping our clients recover fair compensation. Please contact us today for a free case evaluation.

Sources:

Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance: Company Information

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